1. Home
  2. Countries
  3. Lebanon

Lebanon

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (July 2—July 7, 2025)

Senior Iranian officials continued to threaten Israel with a harsh response and the use of additional capabilities in the event of another attack on Iran. According to them, Israel has not achieved its objectives in the war; The Iranian media has begun to show the first signs of criticism, along with disappointment over the reluctance of Iran’s regional proxies to open additional fronts against Israel during Iran’s war with Israel; The IDF eliminated a Qods Force operative in Lebanon. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, accusing them of directly targeting the security of Lebanese citizens and economic life in Lebanon; The IDF attacked three seaports and a Houthi power plant in Yemen. The Houthis claimed responsibility for launching four ballistic missiles and eight drones at Israel, most of them after the Israeli attack, and made it clear that they would not stop “supporting” the Gaza Strip. No hits were identified in Israeli territory. Iran and Hezbollah condemned the Israeli attacks; The Houthis attacked two merchant ships in the Red Sea for the first time since November 2024. Both ships sank, and at least three crew members were killed; The pro-Iranian militias in Iraq rejected calls to disarm; For the second time in a week, IDF forces operating in southern Syria detained members of a terrorist squad operating in the service of the Qods Force to carry out terrorist attacks. The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria announced the death of its deputy commander and the reorganization of the military command to streamline “resistance” efforts.
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (June 30 – July 7, 2025)

IDF forces attacked Hezbollah facilities and eliminated organizational terrorist operatives as part of continued activity against Hezbollah's presence in south Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire understandings, and against renewed efforts by the organization to reconstruct its military capabilities. Facilities were attacked in south Lebanon and in the Beqa'a Valley, and an operative smuggling weapons for Iran's Qods Force was eliminated; Hezbollah took advantage of the Shi'ite Ashura ceremonies to protest the government's handling of the "Israeli violations" and to justify the continuation of the "resistance.". The United States special envoy, Thomas Barack, admitted that the ceasefire was "a complete failure."; Lebanese President Aoun conveyed to American Envoy Barack his country's response to the American proposals regarding disarmament. Barack expressed satisfaction but noted that the United States would not impose its will and the Lebanese should resolve the issue themselves. Senior Hezbollah figures said they were not willing to discuss the possibility of disarming, and secretary general Na'im Qassem claimed that the missiles were "the foundation of our defense capabilities [sic]," but Hezbollah was reportedly discussing the dismantling of heavy weapons, which had become a "burden."; According to reports, ten thousand of the organization's fighters have been taken out of action since the fighting with Israel began, and Hezbollah has lost all its heavy and medium weapons south of the Litani River. The United States imposed sanctions on senior figures in Hezbollah's economic wing, and Lebanese security forces seized $8.2 million which had been smuggled in suitcases to the airport in Beirut; The Lebanese government claimed the collection of weapons from the Palestinian refugee camps was a fait accompli, and the delay was due to disputes within the Fatah movement and the inability of the Palestinian leadership to unify all factions to implement the decision.
Read more...

The “Resistance Axis” and the Israel-Iran War

Iran's use of the proxy organizations throughout the Middle East which compose "resistance axis," is one of the central tenets of Iran's national security doctrine and has motivated its regional activity since the Islamic Revolution. A primary goal in constructing the "resistance axis" was to deter Israel from attacking Iran's nuclear facilities and to provide an immediate response in the event of such an attack; Israel's attack on Iran on June 13, 2025, found the "resistance axis" organizations in crisis after nearly two years of combat, during which many leaders and thousands of operatives were eliminated and their military capabilities were severely damaged. Throughout the 12 days of the Israel-Iran War, during which the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities were attacked and dozens of commanders and nuclear scientists were eliminated, the proxy organizations took virtually no offensive action against Israel and the United States. Instead, they issued statements of support for Iran and condemnation of Israeli and American attacks, while threatening they would intervene in the fighting if circumstances changed; Iran's leadership has yet to respond to the proxy organizations' lack of action during the war, but senior figures in Tehran have stated that the Islamic Republic remains committed to supporting the "resistance axis" until the "struggle against Israel" has been completed; From the perspective of the "resistance axis," the elimination of Mohammad Saeed Izadi (Hajj Ramadan), the head of the Palestine branch of the Revolutionary Guards' Qods Force, was critical. He was the key figure in Iran's ties with the Palestinian terrorist organizations and with Hezbollah, and played a role in preparing for the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre; The results of the Israel-Iran War will have an impact on the proxy organizations in the immediate future. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have increased efforts to advance a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages, exerting greater pressure on Hamas; Hezbollah is struggling to rebuild its military-terrorist capabilities, has been forced to halt payments to homeowners affected by the fighting with Israel, and is facing increasing pressure to disarm; the issue of dismantling the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq has resurfaced; and the Houthis, who remain the only active "support arena," are attempting to raise their status within the "resistance axis," including by improving their military-terrorist capabilities with Iranian assistance; In ITIC assessment, Iran will now be forced to invest significant resources to rebuild the military capabilities damaged in the Israeli attacks and in stabilizing its military and security apparatus after the elimination of dozens of commanders. Despite the declarations of continued support for the "resistance axis," Iran will struggle to provide the scale of support for its proxies which existed before October 7, 2023. In all probability the elimination of Izadi will have a substantial impact on the continued financial and military support received by the proxy organizations because of his many years of experience. The proxies will also try to adapt to new, unprecedented concessions regarding their military capabilities.
Read more...

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (June 22—July 2, 2025)

Iranian officials continued to portray the ceasefire between Iran and Israel as a victory for the Islamic Republic. Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and other senior officials warned that any violation of the ceasefire by Israel would result in a harsher response from the Iranian armed forces. They emphasized that the United States was forced to join the campaign against Iran directly to save Israel from defeat; Iran has not yet commented on the abstention of its proxies in the region, including Hezbollah and the Iraqi Shiite militias, from opening additional fronts against Israel during the 12-day war. Apparently, Iran expected assistance from its allies in the region and likely even urged them to join the fighting, but at this stage, senior Iranian officials have not publicly expressed disappointment with the conduct of the components of the “pro-Iranian axis” in the region in the war with Israel and the United States; The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon expressed his appreciation to the participants in the demonstration of solidarity held by Hezbollah supporters in front of the embassy in Beirut and stressed the close ties between the peoples of Iran and Lebanon; A hardline Iranian newspaper strongly attacked Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara over reports of secret talks between Israel and Syria. The criticism reflects growing discontent in Tehran over the possibility of expanding cooperation between Syria and Israel, including vis-à-vis Iran; The Houthis claimed responsibility for several attacks against Israel using ballistic missiles and drones. The IDF Spokesperson reported two incidents of intercepting a ballistic missile and the interception of one drone. In addition, a ballistic missile launched from Yemen crashed en route to Israel.
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (June 23 – 30, 2025)

IDF forces attacked Hezbollah facilities and eliminated organization operatives as part of ongoing actions targeting Hezbollah's presence in south Lebanon, contrary to the understandings of the ceasefire agreement and foiling the organization's attempts to rebuild its military capabilities. The IDF attacked a fire- and defense-management complex which Hezbollah was rebuilding at the Beaufort Ridge and eliminated a foreign currency exchange owner who was transferring funds to Hezbollah from Iran; Hezbollah continued to demand that the Lebanese leadership increase pressure on Israel to stop the attacks and withdraw from the five points in south Lebanon, warning that the organization's patience could end. Hezbollah secretary general Qassem stated the organization was capable of "expelling" the IDF from south Lebanon; Despite the continued condemnations by the Lebanese leadership after the Israeli attacks, the Lebanese foreign minister admitted that the statements were meaningless; Deodato Abnagara, the new UNIFIL commander, took office and met with Lebanese President Aoun, who said it was necessary for UNIFIL to cooperate with the Lebanese army to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701; Hezbollah promoted Iran's "victory" narrative after the ceasefire in the Israel-Iran War. According to reports, the death of Muhammad Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestine branch of the Qods Force, caused Hezbollah to stop payments to Lebanese whose homes were damaged in the fighting against Israel; Following the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, discussions within the Lebanese leadership accelerated ahead of the first government meeting on disarming Hezbollah. Hezbollah allies, including the Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, called on the organization to give up its weapons, but Hezbollah continues to resist; Lebanese authorities announced they had seized $7 million in cash in suitcases which had arrived on a flight from an African country to Beirut International Airport. 
Read more...

Spotlight on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 17 – 24, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground attacks against targets belonging to Hamas and the other terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, eliminating terrorist operatives, including the head of finances of the Hamas military wing. An IDF soldier was killed in the fighting in the southern Gaza Strip; Hamas denied reports of progress in the negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages, and reiterated its demand for international guarantees to end the fighting; The Gaza Humanitarian Fund continued its daily distribution of food packages, despite Hamas claims of deliberate gunfire attacking Gazans arriving at aid centers and alleged Israeli abduction attempts. A local clan announced the establishment of a force to secure the aid trucks; Following reports that Israel had formulated a secret plan to eliminate the Hamas leadership abroad, the movement increased its precautionary measures; A letter sent by the head of the Hamas military wing to the Houthi chief of staff was published, despite reports that a new Hamas military- commander would only be appointed to replace Muhammad al-Sinwar after a ceasefire had been declared or at the end of the war; A Hamas delegation visited Russia, and a Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine delegation met with the Egyptian minister of intelligence; Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria, focusing on the Balata refugee camp in Nablus; The United States Supreme Court approved a law allowing families of victims of terrorist attacks to sue the Palestinian Authority and the PLO.
Read more...

Previous years bulletins

2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005